Many modern offices utilize modular furniture to create workspaces for employees. This is because modular furniture is very convenient. It comprises a series of panels, each approximately 51/2 feet high and 6 feet wide. The panels are secured together, to form a maze of workspaces. Each panel is equipped with accessory hanging tracks, which are used to install furniture accessories such as desks and bookshelves. The tracks generally comprise metal strips embedded vertically in the face of the panel. The strips include a series of slots arranged vertically in the strip. A desk or other accessory has hooks designed to mate with the slots in the panel and is thus cantilevered off the panel.
Power, phone, and computer network wires are arranged in raceways at the bottom of each panel. In this way, electricity, phone and computer connections can be delivered to each workstation.
The furniture has the advantage of being modular and thus usable in many different configurations. If a business must move an office, the furniture can be broken down, transported and reassembled, whereas if individual workstations were built, they would likely be abandoned at the old location, and new ones constructed. This could add greatly to the cost of the move, whereas furniture panels can be reused without the need for further capital investment.
The modular furniture rests on feet, and is generally arranged on top of whatever floor covering the office chooses to use. In most cases, offices use carpeting for a variety of reasons, including cost, noise suppression, and comfort. However, when the carpeting wears out, all of the modular furniture must be disassembled so that new carpeting can be laid. Carpet tiles, or carpet squares have helped to alleviate this problem. The tiles, which are square about 18 inches on a side, when worn, can be replaced individually. Thus, one may replace the carpet tiles in a high traffic area without the need for replacing entire rooms full of carpeting. However, when the carpet is sufficiently worn that entire rooms are to be recarpeted, again an entire constructed unit of modular furniture must be disassembled so that the old carpet may be removed and new carpet squares laid.
This is generally a procedure which is expensive and disruptive to the business. Each desk and work area must be cleared of all business supplies and personal items. Computer connections must be broken and the computers removed. Each desk, bookshelf, or accessory must be removed from the furniture panels, and all electrical, telephone, and computer network systems must be removed from the panels. The panels are then disassembled. While the old carpet is being removed and new carpet laid, all of the aforesaid items must be stored. Once the carpet is laid, all of the aforesaid items must be reassembled on top of the new carpet. For small offices of 20-30 workstations and 50-100 panels, this probably is accomplished over a weekend or long weekend while business would not otherwise be conducted by the office. However, in larger offices, carpet removal and replacement could cause a substantially longer disruption.
In order to avoid such a substantial disruption, carpet installers have attempted to raise modular furniture slightly off the floor in order to allow carpet tiles to be removed and replaced underneath the furniture. This has met with limited success. Crowbars and other such leveraging devices have been used to slip under the raceway at the bottom of the panel to try to lift the panel. This can severely damage the wire-carrying raceways at the bottom of the panel. Furthermore, the use of such tools creates undue torque and stress on the furniture panels.
The panel raceways are relatively weak. That is they generally cannot support the weight of the panel without undergoing plastic deformation. However, the panels are provided with other, relatively strong structures which can, and may be intended to, support the entire panel without undergoing plastic deformation. For example, the feet of the panels are intended to support the panel. Further, the strips and slots are intended to support the considerable weight of bookshelves and desks. These structures are also relatively strong and can easily support the weight of the panels without undergoing plastic deformation.